Jump to content

Do you think we should see the old 1/32 cars again?


Captain Triggers

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 86
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Airfix yes but my understanding at least had nothing to do with 'air' in any context (even if inflatable products were produced) but merely because it would become listed first in directories. Bear in mind that when Airfix was founded they didn't even make kits: the two words apparently sounded good together, and that was that.

 

As to the 1/32 cars, lovely from a nostalgic point of view; I would perhaps buy some just for that alone (I know we are talking other cars here but I have in mind the Marina, Maxi and the Victor etc). Practically though who aside from a handful of modellers in and beyond their 50s, or an owner of said car, would ever buy one whatever the kit? 

 

Broadly speaking, they were inaccurate and with poor fit, and again something no mainstream company wants to leave potential modellers with the impression of. I've said it before and will say it again, imagine a new or returning modeller buying what is actually an awful 50-60 year old kit, giving up and, throwing it out, thinks 'never again'. Also as I've said, manufacturers have to make money to survive and I'd hazard a guess that Airfix would not be able to survive on nostalgia alone.

 

If such kits were to be released then they should be retooled so they fit nicely, leaving a good impression in the modeller's mind.

 

 

 but from a manufacturing aspect I jolly well hope they don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bugatti, MG and Alfa Romeo are rather good kits and for anybody interested in the period they go rather well with the Matchbox Jaguar, Mercedes, Aston Martin and their own interpretation of the 35. The $64,000 question is whether there's enough people that would buy one to justify a run - on guesswork - of 5,000-10,000 kits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bugatti, MG and Alfa Romeo are rather good kits and for anybody interested in the period they go rather well with the Matchbox Jaguar, Mercedes, Aston Martin and their own interpretation of the 35. The $64,000 question is whether there's enough people that would buy one to justify a run - on guesswork - of 5,000-10,000 kits.

Well I would !!!!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So would I, but using the now defunct kitstarter as an example, I thought the Basset and the Beaver would easily get enough clicks to get production runs going. The Basset just about made it, the Beaver was not really close. I suspect that you would struggle even more to find buyers for the car kits. I'd like to think Airfix would give it a go some time, until then I think the best bet would be to keep and eye out on ebay and with the second hand traders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seem to remember in 1991 when Humbrol reissued the 1/32 British cars set due to "public demand" it ended up being one of their worse selling kits and took years just clear the first (and only) production run, which itself was relatively small. And once that production run had finally sold out and they became hard to get, prices shot up on eBay and people wanted them reissued again! IRRC, the the second release by Humbrol (in the silver swish box) used up left over mouldings from the 1991 run and even that small run took ages to sell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

If the moulds are still available and in good shape, limited runs are possible. There are several other brands who do it and numbers are low, but moulds are recent and are as new. Some are supplyed in a plain box, with a sticker, not in the standard and more expensive box. Another question is if there is demand to pay the costs of the distribution chain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The european/UK market favors the 1:43 (O guage) scale.

1:32 is a nostalgic scale, with some residual following in different cultures.

 

It is my prefered auto scale however I m not sure it has promise unless there were a themed series like Le Mans winners across the decades or progressions of a few makes of sports cars over time, say Jaguar, Ferarri, MG, AUDI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
  • Create New...